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What's In A Name - Let's Kill "range-extended"

From the marketing department that named the Chevy Nova, which in Spanish means, "It doesn't go"; now comes the descriptive term to introduce a revolutionary drivetrain to the civilized world; (drum roll please); "range-extended vehicle". HUH?; What does that mean; did they strap on a 30 gallon reserve tank? Was range a problem and they went back and now they've fixed their mistake?

To the masses "range" means a stovetop or a prarie (like, "Home, Home on the Range", Oh, I get it, it's great for driving around your ranch). The stove made me think of another GM marketing coupe, having toasters and vacuum cleaners (and other electric appliances) announce the arrival of the EV1 to potential customers in California. Boy that really gets the testosterone flowing for a 183 MPH car!

Okay, I'm just poking fun, give 50,000 employees 40 years in any company and you'll have lots of bone-head mistakes. But seriously, I think the Volt Nation could brainstorm and offer GM some wisdom from their most likely customers. I've got a few ideas but I'll just throw it open to everyone. Here is some food for thought (add your thoughts too); the Volt needs a name that says:

1. The Volt COULD go it's whole life without EVER burning any petroleum (something like "gas-optional").

2. It offers a 70% overall (averaged across all drivers and all miles driven) reduction in every kind of greenhouse gas, chemical pollutant, carcinogen, contaminent and just plain filth that comes out of an exhuast pipe.

3. GM hasn't wasted money overfilling the Volt with expensive batteries (i.e. a 150 mile range for the Tesla just means that on an average day you're dragging around 300lbs and $20,000 of extra batteries that you really didn't need).

4. A 60% reduction in fuel consumption would make the U.S. able to support it's own petroleum needs, and we could THUMB OUR NOSES at OPEC any time we needed to.

5. Reducing fuel consumption in millions of cars is much better than totally eliminating fuel use (actually a mistatement if you consider how electricity or hydrogen are made) in a few very expensive vehicles.

6. It's a Hybrid, but not like the Hybrid's you're used to.

Fertile ground - Be creative and don't criticize others, a stupid suggestion may trigger a great one from another reader.

To answer your question, yes, all electric vehicles have a range / cost problem, compounded by a slow recharge time.

I believe that "serial hybrid" just wasn't getting the configuration / operation concept across, so dubbing the vehical as an E-REV, so that people understood that it's configuration and operation was truly that of an electric vehicle, with the benefit of a range extender (gasoline or otherwise) for situations where you don't have times to recharge (saves you big buck upfront as well).

Since the industry quickly understood the concept, GM should leave the designation alone.

Chevy "No Go" = No facts

But there's one major problem with the story: it never happened. As a matter of fact, Chevrolet did reasonably well with the Nova in Latin America, even exceeding its sales projections in Venezuela. The story of the Chevy Nova is a classic example of an urban legend, a story that is told and retold so often that it is believed to be true even though it isn't. Like most other urban legends, there is some element of truth in the story (no va indeed means "it doesn't go"), enough truth to keep the story alive. And, like many urban legends, the story has the appeal of showing how the high and mighty can by humiliated by stupid mistakes.

Even if you couldn't confirm or reject the story by looking into history, you might notice some problems with it if you understand Spanish better than those who spread the story. For starters, nova and no va don't sound alike and are unlikely to be confused, just as "carpet" and "car pet" are unlikely to be confused in English. Additionally, no va would be an awkward way in Spanish to describe a nonfunctioning car (no funciona, among others, would do better), just as in English we'd be more likely to say "it doesn't run" than "it doesn't go."

Additionally, as in English, nova when used in a brand name can convey the sense of newness. There's even a Mexican gasoline that goes by that brand name, so it seems unlikely such a name alone could doom a car.

Be creative and don't criticize others, a stupid suggestion may trigger a great one from another reader.

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Some More Ideas

Yes Jason, operating range, cost and charging time have been significant hurdles to market acceptance of EVs, and by including an on-board generator the Volt has very effectively addressed BOTH problems.

But, back to the search for a more concise way of conveying the important features of the Volt. As moderator of this Thread, I accept "Serial Hybrid" as an appropriate proposal, so our sum total to date is:

1. Gas-Optional Vehicle
2. Serial Hybrid

Any other ideas?

3. Series Hybrid ...
... certainly comes to mind, since most engineering concepts that have a "parallel" configuration describe the converse as a "series" configuration.

4. Unlimited Range EV - is an attempt to improve on "extended range"; it sounds like the problem is solved, rather than just mitigated. And, Yes if it only takes 5 minutes to fill up and get another 600 miles, I think you could argue "unlimited", since gas stations (unlike hydrogen, or 240 volt charging stations) are so prevalent.

5. PHEV (Plug-in Hybrid EV) has been around for a few years. Maybe we could enhance the term and make it pronouncable.

Eventually it would be a big plus to come up with something pronounceable like, URBAN, ROVER or BRASH.

The concept of "series" or "serial" hybrid IS important to convey to the consumer to avoid the possibility that the Volt is received as a late-comer or an "also ran" hybrid. This is especially a possibility if the "Plug-In" version of the Prius is released before the Volt. Think about it; would a Plug-In Prius be "a range-extended EV"?

Dr Mark

Originally Posted by Jason M. Hendler

To answer your question, yes, all electric vehicles have a range / cost problem, compounded by a slow recharge time.

I believe that "serial hybrid" just wasn't getting the configuration / operation concept across, so dubbing the vehical as an E-REV, so that people understood that it's configuration and operation was truly that of an electric vehicle, with the benefit of a range extender (gasoline or otherwise) for situations where you don't have times to recharge (saves you big buck upfront as well).

Since the industry quickly understood the concept, GM should leave the designation alone.

I have always preferred RxEV; it puts the emphasis on Range Extended (Rx) to distinguish it from other Electric Vehicles (EV).

Hmmmm, I gotta admit having the x in there does prompt people into deducing an ex-prefix word, but Rx is already known for prescription or pharmacy or something medical, especially since one E already means electric, so maybe .....

RxEV could be saying that the Volt is "Just what the Dr. ordered" to get off oil, but I agree with Jason that the Rx is well established as a medication reference. Maybe EVXR or EVxR? Then the x can be pronounced as a vowel --
EV - EX -er ? That still sounds a little like a medication though (g). "The Pepsid for your oil addiction"

RxEV could be saying that the Volt is "Just what the Dr. ordered" to get off oil, but I agree with Jason that the Rx is well established as a medication reference. Maybe EVXR or EVxR? Then the x can be pronounced as a vowel --
EV - EX -er ? That still sounds a little like a medication though (g). "The Pepsid for your oil addiction"